Cam operated clutch for catheads



April 13, 1954 B. F. KELLEY CAM OPERATED CLUTCH FOR CATHEADS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15 1950 INVENTOR. Ben F. Kelley ATTORNEY April 13, 1954 B. F. KELLEY 2,675,105

CAM OPERATED CLUTCH FOR CATHEADS Filed May 15, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 riq. E1

INVENTOR.

Ben F. Kelley BY ATTORNEY April 13, 1954 BE KELLEY CAM OPERATED CLUTCH FOR CATHEADS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 15, 1950 INVENTOR. Ben F. Kalle ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAM OPERATED CLUTCH FOR CATHEADS Benjamin F. Kelley, Tulsa, Okla.

Application May 15, 1950, Serial No. 161,943

4 Claims. 1

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application, Serial No. 690,674, filed August 15, 1946, now Patent Number 2,522,377, issued September 12, 1950.

This invention relates to cathead assemblies and particularly to a cathead assembly employing a novel form of clutch mechanism for controlling the operation of a cathead spinner.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of the cathead assembly which employs a greatly simplified form of clutch mechanism for operation of the cathead spinner with consequent reduction in first costs and maintenance costs.

A further object of this invention is the provision in a cathead assembly of a relatively simple form of cam and roller clutch actuating mem-- her for efiectively operating the cathead spinner.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cathead assembly employing a relatively simple and efficient form of brake for controlling the cathead spinner during stages in operation of the assembly.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of an improved cathead assembly embodying various safety features of important utility in its operation.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate useful embodiments in accordance with this invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cathead assembly in accordance with this invention wherein an enclosing safety shield is shown in place about the moving members of the assembly;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing the safety shield removed from the cathead assembly;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, some of the parts being broken away, illustrating the arrangement of the parts of the cathead assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3 of one of the novel clutch actuating elements forming a part of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line 55 of Fig. 4 of a detail of the clutch element shown in Fig. 4; and 1 Figs. 6 and '7 are similar views taken along line 7-4 of Fig. 3 illustrating particularly two positions of the clutch actuating elements of the cathead assembly, Fig. 6 illustrating a mechanical arrangement of parts for operating the clutch and Fig. 7 a hydraulic arrangement for similarly operating the clutch.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a portion of a conventional draw-works shaft I carrying a coupling member 2 to which a stub shaft 3 is removably connected by means of a complementary coupling member 4. Stub shaft 3 is provided with an intermediate section 5 and an outer section B of successively reduced diameters. A cathead drum 1, of conventional form, is removably bolted to an annular flange 8, provided with a central hub 9, which is rigidly mounted on the outer end of section 6 of the stub shaft. Mounted on intermediate section 5 of the stub shaft is a spinner, indicated generally by the numeral Ill, also of generally conventional form. Spinner in is arranged for rotation about intermediate section 5 on roller bearings II and is provided with the usual end flanges I2 and I3 and with a line holder [4, adjacent flange [3, for the reception of a spinning line l5, which is adapted to be wound about spinner ID in connection with the use of the spinner for the various operations normally conducted by means of cathead spinners of this general type. When it is desired to use the cathead assembly for breaking out pipe, spinner It may be replaced by a double-spool spinner, the partition flange 68 being indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3, to illustrate this form of spinner.

The arrangement of spinner ID on section 5 of the stub shaft is such as to permit a limited degree of longitudinal movement of the spinner along stub shaft 3, the ends of the spinner hub being provided with oil seals enclosed by sleeves l6 and I! which surround sections 5 and 6 respectively, of the stub shaft. Interposed between flange 8 of the cathead and flange ll! of the spinner is a circular clutch plate It provided, on the face adjacent flange I31, with annular friction facing l9. Clutch plate I8 is provided with a central hub 20 by means of which it is mounted on section 6 of the stub shaft and keyed thereto for rotation with the shaft and cathead. Mounted on the inner end of section 5 of the stub shaft is a second clutch plate, referred to herein as pressure plate 2|, which is provided with an annular friction facing 22 for engagement with the adjacent face of flange l2 of the spinner. Pressure plate 2| is provided with a cylindrical hub 23 which is keyed to section 5 of the stub shaft by means of keys 24, which are adapted to permit limited longitudinal movement of the pressure plate along the shaft while preventing rotation of the pressure plate relative to the shaft. A plurality of coil springs 57, only one of which is shown, are interposed in the conventional manner, in compression between pressure plate 2| and spring thrust washer 51a to effect disengagement between pressure plate 2! and flange I2 as well as between clutch plate It and flange i3 when the clutching pressure is released. The periphery of the flange 12 of the spinner is provided with an outwardly horizontally extending flange 25, which surrounds the periphery of pressure plate 2| and is spaced therefrom.

Mounted on the inner end of stub shaft 3 between coupling member 4 and the inner face of hub 23 of pressure plate 2| is a clutch actuating member, indicated generally by the numeral 26. Actuating member 23 comprises an annular cam plate 21 and a cooperating annular roller plate 28. Cam plate 27 is provided with a sleeve hub 29 which surrounds shaft 3 and extends outwardly along the shaft between the inner periphery of roller plate 28 and shaft 3. The inner face of plate 2'! is provided with a collar 3!] which extends to the adjacent face of coupling member t and is concentric with shaft 3.. A roller bearing 3| of generally conventional form is arranged in the annular space between collar 30 and the surface of shaft 3. Interposed between the outer face of sleeve hub 29 and the inner periphery of roller plate 2;, is a cylindrical bearing 32. A collar thrust bearing 33 is arranged between the outer face of roller plate 28 and a radial flange 33a adjacent the inner end of hub 23 of pressure plate 2 l, and between the exterior of hub 23 and a collar 28c mounted on the outer face of plate 28 and concentric with hub 23. With this arrangement degree of relative rotation is provided between cam plate 2'l and roller plate '28, while permitting the clutch actuating member, as a whole to remain stationary relative to shaft 3. The face of cam plate 21 adjacent roller plate 28 is provided with arcuate cam slots 34, which are generally circumferentially arranged about the face of the plate and, in the embodiment illustrated, are spaced thereon at intervals of approximately 120 degrees. Cam slots 34 are so cut as to provide a depression at one end which slopes upwardly toward the other end of the slot, the

lower endsof the slots being curved, as at 35, F for the reception of the cooperating rollers 38 to be described hereinafter. Integral with the lower edge of cam plate 2! is an arm 36, ex-

tending in the plane of the plate at right angles to the axis thereof, which is arranged for rigid connection at one end by means of a bolt 36a to a post 31a which is normally firmly attached to some portion of the drawworks or the base structure thereof (not shown), whereby cam plate 2'! may be held stationary relative to the rotation by shaft 3. Roller plate 28 is provided with a plurality of intersecting windows 31 cut therein at intervals of approximately 120 degrees,

in which are mounted rollers 38 which are adapting rollers in place within windows 31. Mounted on an inward extension of arm 36 is a pivot pin M which extends at right angles to the outer face of cam plate 21. A brake arm 42 is pivotally mounted at an intermediate point thereof on pivot pin 4| and at one end of the brake arm there is pivotally connected an arcuate brake shoe 43, provided with a friction facing and arranged for braking engagement with the inner face of flange 25 of the spinner. The opposite end of brake arm 42 is loosely connected by means of a threaded rod 45 to a lug 65a which is rigidly connected to the edge of roller plate 28, thereby forming a lost-motion connection between plates 21 and 26 through brake arni 432. An arm 46, rigidly connected to the upper edge of roller plate 28, extends therefrom generally parallel to arm 36 and a coil spring i'l-l, normally in tension, connects arms 36 and se. Roller plate 28, is rotatable relative to earn plate 2'. about shaft 3 by vertical movement of arm it against the resistance of coil spring 41. This movement of plate 23 relative to plate 2i may be effected either by mechanical means or by hydraulically operated means, In Fig. 6, wherein the plates are shown in disengaged. position, there is shown a mechanical means for effecting this movement which consists of an S-shaped bracket 48, one end of which is rigidly attached to arm 36. -An operating lever 39 is pivoted at 5! in the opposite end of bracket is and the inner end of lever 49 is connected by means of a rod 5! to the outer end of arm 46. Rod 5| is threaded and the lower end is connected to the end of lever 49 by means of a swivel socket 52 and the upper end, which is screwed through arm 46, is locked thereto by means of a nut 53 and terminates in a wrench square 54.

Fig. 7, wherein roller plate 28 is shown in the clutch engaging position, illustrates an alternative arrangement of mechanism for operating the clutch actuating member. In this alternative arrangement, a conventional type hydraulic operating cylinder 55 is interposed between the ends of arms 36 and it, the upper end of cylinder 55 being provided with a threaded adjusting screw 5'! which extends through the end of arm 23 and is employed, like threaded 5H, for adjustment of the clutch actuating member, as will be hereinafter described. Hydraulic fluid for moving cylinder 55 is supplied from a hydraulic pump 58 through a pipe 53, the pump 53 being operated by an operating handle 60 suitably connected thereto.

Extending radially from the edge of cam plate 21, are supports SI and 62 provided with bolt lugs 53 and 64, respectively, and a lug 69 (Fig. 2) on arm 36, all spaced approximately 120 degrees apart, for the supporting attachment thereto of a cylindrical shield which surrounds and'encloses the clutch actuating member 25 and spinner l0. Shield 65 is provided with a window 65 which exposes only a small area of the spinner through which spinning line 7 l5 passes.

The cathead assembly above described is operated in the following manner: With clutch actuating member 26 in the disengaged position illustrated, particularly in Fig. 6, draw-works shaft i will normally be running, driving stub shaft 3, cathead 1, clutch plate l8, and pressure plate 2!. Spinner in will be stationary since it will be disengaged from plates [8 and 2! and held against rotation by brake shoe 33 in a manher to be subsequently described. When it is desired to effect engagement of the spinner,

handle 49 will be depressed, thereby raising arm 46 against the resistance of coil spring 41 and producing a rotary movement of roller plate 28 about shaft 3. Rollers 38, which are initially in the neutral position, will be seated in the bottoms of cam slots 34 in the position illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 5, and will be caused by the rotary movement of roller plate 28 to roll up the slopes of cam slots 34 toward the upper ends thereof to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 5. This movement causes roller plate 28 to move longitudinally along shaft 3 against pressure plate 2| thrusting the outer face of the latter into contact with spinner l and moving the latter outwardly along section 5'of shaft 3 into contact with the opposed face of clutch plate [8. This action causes opposite ends of the spinner ID to be gripped tightly by the friction facings l9 and 22 and since plates [8 and 2| are keyed to stub shaft 3 and are rotating therewith, spinner ID will be'rotated thereby so long as roller plate 28 is maintained in the clutch engaging position, and thrusting against pressure plate 24. In this position, roller bearing 33 will receive the rolling thrust of the inner end of hub 23 of pressure plate 2 I. The clutch is released by reverse movement of lever 49, which moves rollers 38 back down the slopes of cam slots 34 to their eventually neutral positions at the bottoms of slots 34. When this reverse movement occurs, the plates l8 and 2| will be released from their engagement with spinner Ill by the thrust of coil springs 61. When the clutch is engaged as described, spinning line I5 will, of course, be wound on the spool of spinner ID in the conventional manner and will be employed for the purposes for which such spinning lines are usually employed about a drilling mg.

The brake mechanism, which is attached to clutch 26, operates in the following manner: When the clutch is engaged and the plates of the clutch actuating member occupy the positions illustrated particularly in Fig. '7, lug 45a, which is attached to roller plate 28 will have been rotated in a counterclockwise direction toward the outer end of brake arm 42. This will release the outer end of the brake arm and permit it to rock about shaft 4 l, lifting brake shoe 43 from contact with the inner surface of flange 25, and thereby releasing its braking action upon flange 25 to permit the rotation of the spinner pursuant to the engaging action of the clutch. As the clutch disengages to release the spinner, lug 45a will rotate in the clockwise direction and, by engaging the nut attached to the upper end of the rod 45, will act to lift the outer end of brake arm 42 and rock brake shoe 43 into engagement with the inner surface of flange 25. This action will stop any rotation of spinner it as the clutch pressure is released and when the clutch members attain their neutral position. Otherwise, friction and other effects acting on the spinner through the continued rotation of shaft 3, will tend to rotate spinner In and produce undesirable reactions of the spinning line IS. The brake is thus automatically released when the clutch is moving toward the engaging position, and similarly the brake will become automatically engaged with flange 25 when the clutch is released and returned to the neutral position.

By the employment of the clutch and,,clutch actuating member of the form heretofore described, it will be evident that a very simple, yet positive acting form of clutch is provided for use with a cathead assembly which is of very simple construction and eflicient in operation.

The vertical distance between the maximum points of travel of rollers 38 in cam slots 34 will determine the degree of lonigtudinal movement or thrust of roller plate 28 in effecting engagement and disengagement of the clutch. The length and slope of the cam 5101; will control the pressure characteristics and the rate of application of the clutching pressure and these factors may be varied, if desired, by varying the depth, slope and length of the cam slots.

By making cam slots 34 in the arcuate shape shown, the peripheral edges of rollers 38 will remain in full face contact with the bottoms. of the cam slots at any angular position of plate 28 and thus permits utilization of the full area of the peripheries of rollers 38 as bearing surface in their movement along the bottoms of slots 34.

Adjustment of the plates of the clutch actuating member to compensate particularly for wear may be made simply by suitable adjustment merely of the length of rod 5! in the case of the mechanical construction shown in Fig. 6, or of the adjusting screw 51 in the case of the hydraulic arrangement shown in Fig. '7.

It will be understood that numerous alterations or modifications may be made in the details of the structure of this invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims but within the spirit of this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cathead assembly including a rotating cathead shaft carrying a line-spoofing spirmer releasably engageable for rotation therewith and a clutch slidable on said shaft for driving said spinner, a clutch actuating means, comprising a pair of adjacent plate members arranged for limited relative rotation on said shaft independent of the rotation of said shaft, one of said plate members being reversibly slidable on said shaft relative to the other for actuating said clutch, symmetrically spaced arcuate cam slots which are arcuate with respect to the axis of said shaft circumferentially arranged in the face of one of said plate members, each of said cam slots having a curved depression at one end merging into an upwardly sloping bottom wall terminating at the other end at said face, disk-shaped rollers journalled in the other of said plate members with their peripheries extending laterally into said slots, said rollers being reversibly engageable with the bottoms of said cam slots in response to relative rotation between said plate members, and means for rotating one of said plate members relative to the other.

2. In a cathead assembly including a rotating catheacl shaft carrying a line-spooling spinner releasably engageable for rotation therewith and a clutch slidable on said shaft for driving said spinner, a clutch actuating means, comprising, a pair of adjacent plate members arranged for limited relative rotation on said shaft independent of the rotation of said shaft, one of said plate members having an axially extending elongated hub surrounding said shaft, and the other of said plate members being reversibly slidable on said hub relative to the first plate member for actuating said clutch, symmetrically spaced arcuate cam slots which are arcuate with respect to the axis of said shaft circumferentially arranged in the face of one of said plate members, each of said cam slots having a curved depression at one and merging into an upwardly sloping bottom wall terminating at the other end at said face, disk-shaped rollers journalled in the other of said plate members with their peripheries extending laterally into said slots, said rollers being reversibly engageable with the bottoms of said cam slots in response to relative rotation between said plate members, and means for rotating one of said plate members relative to the other.

3. In a cathead assembly including a driven cathead shaft carrying a line-spoofing spinner releasably engageable for rotation therewith and. a clutch slidable on said shaft for driving said spinner, a clutch actuating means comprising, a pair of adjacent disk members, one of which is reversibly slidable on said shaft relative to the other for actuating said clutch, and an actuating cam connection between said members, said cam connection comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate cam slots arranged in the face of one of said members, registering openings in the other of said members, disk-shaped rollers journalled in said openings with their peripheries extending into rolling engagement with the cam surfaces of said slots and having axial shafts radially journalled in the plane of said other memher, and means for rotating one of said members relative to the other, said means comprising References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 203,808 Williamson May 14, 1878 430,097 Watson June 10, 1890 570,594 Cartwright Nov. 3, 1896 1,014,990 Ahlhorn Jan. 16, 1912 1,537,629 Street May 12, 1925 2,024,328 Batri Dec. 17, 1935 2,061,787 Warner Nov. 24, 1936 2,063,443 Lambert Dec; 8, 1936 2,278,022 Rodgers Mar. 31, 1942 2,522,377 Kelley Sept. 12, 1950 2,574,204 Woody et al Nov. 6, 1951 ran 

